2020 COVID Inspired Art

Our Mission Statement

“Pears” by Pat Morgan, Sepia & Watercolor

We believe in artistic progress.
We believe that all credit and encouragement are due to those forward-looking and venturesome experimenters who alone are responsible for the world’s progress, and that by dedicating itself to such encouragement, Audubon Artists, Inc. justifies its existence and will continually attract artists of similar view.

We believe that progress is achieved through evolution—seldom through revolution; that no good thing has ever sprung full grown into being, or ever will; that there is no royal road or short cut to success; that change is desirable, but that, being expensive, it is justified only when accompanied by improvement or promise of improvement; that we must know how to follow before we can lead—how to serve before we can command—how to learn before we can teach; that we can contribute to the future only by considering the past, but that we should neither chain ourselves to the art vehicles of long ago nor consider swift new conveyances unequipped with brakes or steering apparatus.

We believe in forward motion, but we want to know whither we are going; we want to journey safely, and we don’t want to injure fellow crusaders, friendly or competing, with whom we come into contact; we believe in progress with restraint; in imagination—under control.

We believe that there is a very close balance between good and bad, right and wrong, progress and retrogression, genius and insanity—that the dividing line is often imperceptible and that the deciding factor is control or restraint, as imagination with control spells genius, while imagination without control is insanity.

We believe there are diverse ways to any goal; that all may be right, and that none should be restricted.

We believe that real progress cannot be achieved impetuously, that we must accept truth and be patient and thorough in our work, that there is no such thing as final perfection, that all one can reasonably desire is steady improvement, and that if one carries his burden forward just a little way he has done his stint.

We believe in short, in artistic liberalism, shunning equally the irresponsibleness of the extreme left and reactionism of the extreme right, offering offense to none and subservience to none, but with respect and encouragement for all who strive for solid progress.